24 Elul · Yahrzeit
Habakkuk HaNavi
The Prophet Habakkuk
The Prophet Habakkuk was the son of the Shunammite woman, the very woman from Shunem who hosted the prophet Elisha in her home. She had been childless for a long time, and her husband was old. And so, as a reward for her good deeds, the prophet promised her a son: "In a year's time you will be embracing a child." The name Habakkuk comes from the word "to embrace." As a child he underwent a serious "clinical" death and was revived by Elisha.
The Zohar HaKadosh states that Habakkuk was revived by the Name of Ha-Shem composed of 72 words - at the splitting of the Yam Suf there are 3 verses - the Name of 72 words contains 216 letters. The gematria of Habakkuk equals 216.
The name Habakkuk has a gematria of 72x3. This is, as it were, the gematria of the loftiest Name of the Al-mighty, composed of 72 words, repeated three times - a threefold Chesed, since 72 is the gematria of the word "Chesed."
72 is a symbol of the highest kindness. It turns out that in the name Habakkuk this supreme kindness is intensified threefold.
The number 72 appears in many places throughout the Tanach. For example, the world was created over the course of 72 hours (Rabbeinu Bechaya explains it this way: there were 6 days of creation; the Al-mighty created the world only during the daylight hours; therefore, 6 multiplied by 12 equals 72).
The number 72 is also connected to the 12 Tribes of Israel - the Kohen Gadol's breastplate held 12 stones, each engraved with 6 letters.
Habakkuk lived in an extremely difficult period, when people had become corrupt and were mired in sin. His entire life he sought the answer to the question of why the Al-mighty does not reward good and punish evil. And, in general, why does evil exist in the world at all?
We have a tradition that Moshe Rabbeinu handed down to us 613 laws;
David HaMelech grouped them and condensed them to 11;
the prophet Micah to three;
Habakkuk - to one: "Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith" (2:4). (Rebbetzin Chava Kupperman)
The story of his birth and revival from the dead can be found here:
https://silatehilim.com/бейт-а-шунамит-в-ожидании-тхият-а-мети/
Kohelet on the Prophet Habakkuk
https://silatehilim.com/пророк-хавакук-и-коэлет/
Pilgrimage site:
Grave: Habakkuk the Prophet